People living in poverty-stricken Appalachia have a lower life expectancy
and higher rates of infant mortality than anywhere else in the country,
according to a new
study
in Health Affairs.

Researchers examining life expectancy rates covering 2009 to 2013 found
that among both men and women in Appalachia, the average life expectancy
was 76.9 compared with 79.3 in the rest of the country. They concluded that
the association between poverty and life expectancy was more pronounced in
the region than elsewhere in the United States.

The biggest factors contributing to the life expectancy gap
were cardiovascular disease, unintentional injuries including drug
overdose, and cancer, the study found.

Smoking-related diseases accounted for more than half of the life
expectancy...